Donald J.
A gift! Restful sleep for me and my wife. No snoring!
Hi, my name is Donnie and I had my Inspire® therapy procedure in April 2024, with activation in June 2024. I didn't know much about sleep apnea until I was diagnosed with it 2014. I snored to the point that it bothered my wife's rest and I was always tired. I could fall asleep sitting in a chair and drinking coffee. Once, I even fell asleep after I took a sip of coffee and woke up choking.
Driving beyond local trips was rough because I would get sleepy. The point that I knew something had to be done came when the car behind me blew his horn, because I had fallen asleep at a stop sign.
I was tested for sleep apnea and that's when the CPAP became my nighttime companion. At first I could tell a difference, but it wasn't long before it became an intolerable companion. Trying to find a compatible mask was next to impossible. Air leaks from broken seals around my mask and other noises hindered not only my sleep, but my wife's as well. I went back to sleeping without the CPAP.
Now that I have Inspire therapy, it has been a game changer when it comes to bedtime. When I see someone who wears the impressions of the CPAP straps on their head and face, I feel compelled to ask how they are doing with their sleep. Then I share with them what Inspire has done for me.
Gardening, researching family history, and walking with my dog
Every morning I listen to a radio talk show host out of Richmond, VA. I started hearing about a new kind of treatment for sleep apnea, called Inspire, and how a local doctor in Richmond was a leader in this new field. I started researching and learning what I could about the system to see if it was something I thought would help me. A couple of years after my first exposure to the advertisements, I spoke to my primary care doctor and expressed my interest. He scheduled me for an appointment with a local sleep doctor and that's when the process began.
Inspire has drastically changed my nights! From the beginning of my journey, I started sharing with my friends and family what I was doing. They expressed a genuine interest and desire to learn how things were going throughout the process. Inspire has become a game changer when it comes to bedtime. When I see someone with the impressions of the CPAP straps on their head and face, I feel compelled to ask how they are doing with their sleep. Then I share with them what Inspire has done for me. I see being a Patient Ambassador as an opportunity to share the "gift" Inspire gave me with more people.
